Diablo Review: A Midsummer Night's Dream

California Shakespeare Theater and Two River Theater Company offer a fresh and modern take on this Shakespeare classic.

Remote control dogs, acrobatics, sleight of hand magic tricks, and a little bit of Marvin Gaye—A Midsummer Night's Dream has been done so many ways over centuries, but never quite like this.

The production marks the California Shakespeare Theater's first co-endeavor with New Jersey based Two River Theater Company—whose artistic director, Aaron Posner, directs the play—but CalShakes' reputation for "reimagining" the classics survives in full force.

Young lovers Lysander (Avery Monsen) and Hermia (Erin Weaver) flee from her disapproving father into the forest followed by Hermia's unwanted suitor, the pompous Demetrius (Richard Thieriot), and his unrequited lover, Helena (Lindsey Gates). As a bumbling theater troupe also ends up in the woods, all become unknowingly caught up in the love-games of the Fairy King Oberon (Keith Randolph Smith) and Queen Titania (Pegge Johnson) in this comedic tale of romance, confusion, and magic.

At first, I was a bit overwhelmed by the large and in charge Keith Randolph Smith (Oberon) and his loud, booming voice, but the more I watched him, the more I enjoyed his commanding presence and comic timing with Doug Hara (Puck). Smith and Pegge Johnson (Titania) also display fantastic chemistry together as the quarreling Fairy royalty.

There are no weak links in the performances in this show. Every Cal Shakes actor not only understands their dialogue, but knows it so well that they are able to take the role and make it their own.

Doug Hara as Puck, Oberon's right hand-man, carries the show seamlessly. Often, the character of Puck is played as a silly, impish servant. Hara and Posner have transformed him into a mysterious, acrobatic magician. This Puck leaps effortlessly from the seats among the audience onto the stage, performs sleight of hand magic tricks, and acts as a resident DJ, throwing his voice to create loops of sound which, with the help of sound designer Andre Pluess, serve as an important part of the show's soundtrack. Hara has fun with it, and it's easy to tell.

Also bringing fresh takes to their roles are Erin Weaver as the punky and feisty Hermia, Lindsey Gates as the sassy, pouty Helena, Joan Mankin as Snug, and the laugh-out-loud antics of Danny Scheie as Bottom. Scheie, a Cal Shakes veteran, continues to be one of the most welcome scene-stealers onstage, successfully milking every ounce of laughter every chance he gets.

Though Posner has kept the story intact (there are some cuts in the dialogue), there are a number of pleasant pop culture surprises. A sweet scene with Hermia and Lysander is extended with a rendition of "You've Really Got a Hold On Me" played on Lysander's uekelele. Puck shoots Lysander in the face with a small water gun, Bottom wears a donkey mask eerie enough to have come from sci-fi cult movie Donnie Darko, and there is even a cameo from the children's book Good Night Moon. It might make the strict Shakespeare-purists squirm a little, but these additions definitely help to add context to the language by keeping things interesting and adding a modern spin.

It all works in a wonderfully fun, frenetic, eclectic way. I've seen many, many performances of Midsummer Night's Dream, but as Puck stands on top of the set—a blue geometric mountain that towers up into the sky and appears to melt into the stage—I know that this is one I'll remember for years to come.

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A Midsummer Night's Dream
Director: Aaron Posner
Dates: September 16 - October 11
Location: Bruns Amphitheater, 100 Gateway Blvd., Orinda

For more information and to purchase tickets, call (510) 548-9666 or go to calshakes.org.

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